Capital One League Cup Predictions: Round 4

Round 4 of the Capital One Cup/English League Cup will be kicking off this Tuesday and Wednesday and includes Premier League teams in every one of the matches. There are several top clubs still involved in this tournament which means that there should be some good football to watch.

The League Cup always presents a bit of a conundrum for most teams. It is certainly the lesser of the tournaments for top Premier League clubs to be involved in and for other teams, it can often be an unwanted distraction. It is typically used as a proving ground for bringing through young talent, but now that the winner is given a place in the Europa League, it does become a more enticing competition.

Arsenal v Chelsea: Arsene Wenger is well known for using this competition to give his young players a chance to play. With the depth that is available at Chelsea they will have quite a few top players that should be playing and this should also give them the advantage. This should be the tie of the week, but I’m predicting a very close Chelsea draw. This is certainly one that could go either way. Over the past six encounters (all in the EPL) Chelsea has a 3-1-2 record.

Birmingham City v Stoke City: Both Birmingham and Stoke have had some struggles this season, although Birmingham’s have been worse considering they sit in 20th place in the Championship, just above the relegation zone. My prediction here is for a Stoke City win, but with Birmingham City at home, they could just pull off a draw or even a shock win. Birmingham does hold the advantage in their last six meetings with three wins, one draw and one loss.

Burnley v West Ham United: Burnley are coming in to Tuesday’s match at the top of the Championship and flying high. They will certainly be ready for this. West Ham have had some struggles and sit in 15th place in the EPL. They have struggled with consistency in scoring goals having scored eight and allowed eight. My prediction here is for a draw. Both teams certainly have a chance at this one and in many ways it will depend on which team really wants to advance and which sees the competition as a nuisance.

Leicester City v Fulham: Leicester City is currently sitting second in the Championship and I have a feeling that they will have quite a bit of confidence going into this match. Fulham have struggled this season and I don’t think they have what it takes to go out against a hungry Championship and get a result. I’m predicting a Leicester City win, though Fulham could manage a draw. I will add that in their last six meetings Fulham has the advantage with four wins and two draws, with their most recent meeting coming in 2008 in the League Cup.

Manchester United v Norwich City: I have a feeling that David Moyes will be looking to win this competition and get a trophy. He has the depth of squad to be able to do so, but coming up against Norwich City, it will really depend on whether Norwich wants to go for it in this competition or not. Norwich have the quality to go to Old Trafford and win if they so desire. With the Canaries sitting in the relegation zone it is questionable as to whether they will see this competition as something to go out and build momentum, or just something that gets in the way. My prediction is a close and hard fought Manchester United win.

Newcastle United v Manchester City: Both Newcastle United and Manchester City come into Wednesday’s match having lost close matches on Sunday. Newcastle might have a slight edge as the home team, but my prediction is for a Manchester City win.

Tottenham Hotspur v Hull City: It’s quite odd to see this exact same matchup coming in the Capital One Cup as in Sunday’s Premier League match. I think that Spurs will sit quite a few players for this one which will give Hull City a real chance at getting a result. My prediction is for a low scoring draw to force a replay.